Margaret

Current boat name

Margaret

Boat class

7330

Function

Sports and Leisure

Type

Length (m / ft)

8.05 / 26ft 5in

Beam (m / ft)

1.78 / 5ft 10in

Leeward

Keel

Masts

1 Wood

Propulsion

Oar/Sail

Date of build

1760

Place of build

Windermere

Present use

Museum/LAT

Built sometime between 1730 and 1760 this boat was described by W M Blake in an article in Yachting Monthly of January 1935. Hidden away for many years in a disused boathouse on the South side of Ferry Nab. It had been abandoned, together with another boat of similar age (sadly destroyed later in a fire). W M Blake examined and photographed both boats and took off their lines when they were drawn out of the boathouse in 1934. The hull of MARGARET, as she is now known, has survived well since she was discovered. However, a large quantity of fitings, spars etc have now disappeared. Blake reported that her 'planking is left bright and oiled'.. 'With portable mast step, brass rowlock plates let in flush, seats fitted into iron brackets and a tiller of quaint design'.. 'We unearthed some iron ballast,cast to shape'..'The hooks on the stem heads and lack of bowsprit fittings denote one headsail and the mainsheet horse with strange snatch blocks'. 'It is reported that the smaller boat is to be preserved in South Kensington Museum, while the larger of the two will be fitted out by the Sea Scouts' In the event this never happened. She probably raced against the 1789 yacht PEGGY in a local regatta in 1796 on Windermere. Known to have taken part in a famous regatta in 1827, when Sir Walter Scott, Wordsworth and others were present.Margaret is now in store with the steamboats at the former Windermere Steam Boat Museum under the control of the Lakeland Arts Trust. This is a very significant hull which is in remarkably good condition and which ranks alongside PEGGY and other 18th century survivors. Visited and photographed 28 Sep GH Oct 2010 (Archive.)